2 people killed when freight train hits van in Littleton

DENVER | Authorities say two people were killed when a freight train crashed into a minivan south of Denver.

The Denver Post reports the engineer of the BNSF train blew the horn but was unable to stop before hitting the vehicle at an intersection along U.S. Highway 85 in Littleton on Tuesday afternoon. The intersection did not have any train crossing arms.

The victims, whose names have not been released, died at the scene.

The train tracks run parallel to the highway in that area, with intersections leading to businesses and neighborhoods.